On this excellent CD, one of
Ranee Lee
's earliest recordings, the singer pays tribute to
Billie Holiday
with renditions of a dozen songs associated with
Lady Day
. The Canadian release features
Lee
joined by pianist
Oliver Jones
, guitarist
Richard Ring
,
Richard Beaudet
on reeds, veteran bassist
Milt Hinton
, and drummer
Archie Alleyne
; the title cut also includes a string section.
manages to recapture
Holiday
's spirit without resorting to mimicry. This tasteful effort has among its highlights
"When a Woman Loves a Man,"
"Crazy He Calls Me,"
"Easy Living,"
and
"Them There Eyes."
Recommended. ~ Scott Yanow